Who Said Anything About Second Chances?
by Expressionista
Summary: Sequel. Elizabeth has a new lease on life, but she's not the only one. A psychic under the alias of Kayla Knight has shown up with power that's catching the attention of one Original too many, and a connection to Mikaela that has a certain Salvatore wondering if there can be second chances when death steals love away.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! This is the sequel to Who Said Anything About Love. If you haven't read that, you should read it first.**

**Hope you guys enjoy! It's only the Prologue, so it's shorter, but if you guys review, I'll be sure to have the next chapter out soon... And it will be long, too...**

* * *

**One Month Later:**

It's the little choices that ultimately screw people over.

She was driving back to her apartment at two o'clock in the morning, trying her hardest not to fall asleep at the wheel. It had been a long day working on her investigation, and after fourteen hours of pouring all of her energy into reading the dusty tomes with the Doctor, she needed a good night's rest. Thankfully her Chicago apartment had wooden shutters over the windows to allow her to sleep peacefully well into the afternoon, a new habit she'd developed since she started living in the outskirts of the city.

The part of the city she lived in housed mostly retired couples that went to bed early, so it was surprising to see the girl sitting on the side of the road at that time. A part of her wanted to keep driving so she could get home and go to sleep, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep with herself just leaving the girl there. So, heaving a sigh, she slowed down the car and pulled over in front of her.

"Are you alright?" she called, leaning towards the open passenger window. The girl looked up with surprise, but didn't respond. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were red as if she'd been crying, her green irises standing out brightly against the lightly tanned skin of her face. She gave her a suspicious look and stood up, grabbing a worn backpack that was on the sidewalk next to her.

"Fine," she answered shortly, walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey, wait!" she called, putting the car into reverse. "What's your name?"

"None of your business, lady," the girl shot back rudely, quickening her pace.

"'Lady'?" she repeated disbelievingly. Shaking her head, she parked the car and got out. "Hey, kid!"

"What?" the girl exclaimed exasperatedly. It was everything to not go over and beat the attitude out of the girl.

"Do you even know where you're going?" she asked doubtfully. The girl rolled her eyes.

"The bus station," the girl answered, if only to shut her up. "I'm going to stay with family."

"And what were you doing sitting on the side of the road like some hoodlum?" she pressed. The girl all but killed her with her glare.

"I was resting for a second! Geez lady, back off!"

The girl shook her head and turned around again, this time with more purpose. She couldn't be older than eighteen, most likely a runaway living on the street. Her dust-covered backpack, tattered sneakers and uneven hair cut only strengthened the possibility. She had all but decided to wash her hands of responsibility and leave the girl alone when she saw it: a silver cross hanging from her neck.

At that point, she gave up any and all hope of getting back home.

"Look, the name's Elizabeth," she said tiredly, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace. "How about I at least give you a lift?"

That, finally, seemed to spark a less hostile reaction from the girl. The girl looked even more tired than Elizabeth felt, and when she looked back at her, there was still suspicion in her eyes, but it was backed with hopefulness, too. "It's only ten minutes away," she said carefully, offering Elizabeth an out. Elizabeth smiled and nodded at the car.

"I'll get you there in four."

Elizabeth was surprised that the girl didn't smell. From her experiences with the homeless, they normally smelled. The runaway sat silently in her seat, hands tightly clasped in her lap and eyes glued to the window. Hoping to break the tension, Elizabeth turned on the radio to a random station. The girl looked at the radio curiously, then at Elizabeth.

"Frank Sinatra fan?" she asked. Elizabeth nodded, though she had no idea who the girl was talking about. There were too many music icons for her to keep track of. "Do you know who he is?" the girl asked, catching on to her lie.

"How about you tell me your name?" she suggested, not wanting to give away her lack of musical knowledge. The girl looked out the window again. Feeling awkward, she leaned towards idle conversation tactics that Elijah and the Doctor had taught her. "That's a nice necklace you have. Where did you-?"

"No offense, but you remind me of somebody I don't trust," she said flatly, not bothering to hide the resentment. Elizabeth raised her brows, surprised by how straightforward the girl was. "She didn't use glasses, though."

Elizabeth self-consciously adjusted her wire-framed glasses on her nose, still not used to the lenses in front of her green eyes. "Why do I remind you of her?" she asked, not certain she wanted to know the answer. The girl shrugged.

"She didn't know when to take a hint, either." If anything could have closed the topic, it was that. "Can you tell me why you're giving me a ride?" she asked after a moment of tense silence. "I haven't been at all nice to you, and you're clearly tired from..." She trailed off, taking in Elizabeth's ankle-length skirt and t-shirt with a calculating eye. "... Well, from doing whatever it is that hippies do."

"I'm not a hippie." _That _image she was familiar with, and she most certainly did _not _resemble one of those individuals. She simply couldn't bring herself to use jeans like most of the women of the century. The girl shrugged.

"Either way, why?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that you remind me of someone?" she asked honestly. The girl lowered her face and shook her head. Sensing that she'd gotten past the girl's defenses, she went on. "You remind me of my brother. He has green eyes, and you both have the same color hair. He went missing recently, and it hasn't been easy."

"I know what you mean," the girl whispered, barely loud enough for Elizabeth to hear. Catching Elizabeth's questioning look, she grudgingly elaborated. "Uncle. Dead."

"Got it."

The bus station came into sight, and she heard the girl breathe a sigh of relief. Elizabeth pulled up in front of the station and parked the car. "Do you have enough to pay for your ticket?" she asked. Elijah made sure her bank account was taken care of, so she had no qualm with giving the girl some money to help her get home. The girl shook her head.

"Thanks, but I've got it," she assured her, picking up her backpack and opening the door. "Thanks for the ride. Next time I see you on the side of the road, I'll be sure to give you a lift."

"Sounds like a plan," Elizabeth agreed, happy that she'd gotten the girl to make a joke. "Take care of yourself." The girl closed the door and stopped, deliberating something. After a minute, she lowered her head so that she could see Elizabeth and gave her a half-smile.

"The name's Kayla," she said, extending her hand. Elizabeth put her hand in hers and shook it politely. "Kayla Knight."

And just like that, she froze. Kayla gave her an even stare as she pulled her hand out of Elizabeth's suddenly tight grip and stepped back, clearly aware that her name had had some sort of effect on her. Elizabeth ran her eyes over the girl, searching for some indication that the impossible was true, but it couldn't be. She had green eyes, for one, and she was almost as tan as Elizabeth herself was. Her badly-cut hair just reached past her shoulders, and it was brown, not jet black...!

"K-Kayla?" Elizabeth repeated, stammering from shock. "Is that short for anything?" Kayla smiled slowly and stepped away.

"You ask too many questions," Kayla stated, shaking her head. "Has anyone ever told you that?" Elizabeth could only see the glinting of the girl's silver cross before a bus stopped in front of her, blocking her from view. She waited for the bus to move, but when it did, all she was faced with was an empty station, and left with more questions than answers.

* * *

He'd been avoiding coffee shops for the past month and a half, but as three o' clock rolled around and Alaric wasn't any closer to choosing a car than he'd been when they'd arrived, Damon would have done anything for a distraction. So, he'd settled with crossing the street to purchase a coffee that would do no more than make him less cold to the touch for when he decided to flirt with the receptionist at the car dealership.

The shop was quaint with cushioned seats and wooden tables organized into small alcoves, giving the whole place a cozy feel. A section of the bar had stools pushed up against it, so, spotting a pretty blonde sitting at the bar with a frozen coffee, he put on his standard game face and made his way to sit next to her.

He'd barely sat himself on the stool next to her when she held up a hand, stopping him. "Don't even think about it," she warned, turning to give him an irritated glance. "The name's Sydney. I was Benji's girlfriend. Piss off."

He could only gape at her before sitting down with an embarrassed chuckle. "Okay then, I can take a hint," he surrendered, holding up his hands. Even so, she got to her feet. "Have we met before? He never mentioned having a-"

"I've heard enough to not want to hear you speak anymore," she interrupted, picking up her purse. She turned to the girl who was sitting next to her. "So, see you in an hour, Kayla?"

"Sure thing. Thanks, Sydney."

The name had him looking at the girl with wide, unbelieving eyes. Surely enough, the girl couldn't have looked more different from his Mikaela/Kaela with the pale skin and long, black hair. Sydney's friend was slightly darker than Mikaela had been and she had bright green eyes, making her better resemble Sydney's ex-boyfriend, Benji, than the Kaela he had been in love with. Even so, there was something eerily familiar about her.

The girl kept her eyes focused on her hot coffee and didn't acknowledge him as he sat down in the stool Sydney had abandoned. "Nice haircut," he commented. Her hair was unevenly chopped as if she'd cut it herself, with a kitchen knife, and without a mirror in a windy place. She rolled her eyes at his attempt at a joke.

"Go to hell," she muttered. She was avoiding looking at him, which, of course, had to mean she was ridiculously attracted to him. Her insult did nothing to discourage him.

"So, Kayla," he began, smiling friendlily at her. "You live here in Richmond?"

"Passing through," she answered shortly. She was clearly trying to make him feel unwelcome, but he'd already been brushed off by one woman, and wasn't going to be denied at least a simple conversation. Cheating with his vampire abilities, he sniffed and smiled.

"A large espresso," he noted, referring to the coffee she was drinking. "Somebody likes 'em strong."

She froze for a second and looked at him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "...Yeah. Coffee," she agreed slowly. "Everything else can be whatever the hell it wants to be."

A red flag went off in his head as her words jogged a memory of the last time he'd been in a coffee shop. The girl he'd spoken to had called herself Caroline, come back to life after he'd killed her in the parking lot, and then made him fall in love with her, only to go ahead and die after saving him from a fiery death. Kayla stared evenly at him as she stepped off of her stool, picking up a bag from the floor.

"I'll see you around, Damon."

It wasn't until she was out of the shop and he'd been served a coffee that he realized he hadn't introduced himself to her.

* * *

"Babe, I had a vision."

"_No_," she said sarcastically. "One of the most powerful psychics in the world, and you had a vision? Someone call the FBI."

"It's important."

"Uh huh..."

Diane shrieked as Joseph playfully bit her side, demanding that her attention be directed at him instead of the latest medical journal. "Joseph, stop it!" she exclaimed, swatting at him with the journal. After a couple of swats he released her and dropped back onto his side of the bed in a huff. She opened the journal with exaggerated flourish, smiling victoriously.

"Don't act so smug."

"Don't be glum."

"Spoil sport," he grumbled. She groaned and dropped the journal on the bedside table, knowing he wasn't going to leave her be.

"What did you see?" she asked tiredly. He crossed his arms and looked away, ignoring her. She groaned, but smiled as she crawled over to him, nuzzling his neck. "Come on, Joseph. Tell me."

"I'm not sure you're interested," he said, pretending to be offended. She kissed his neck and giggled when he groaned. "Woman, you'll be the end of me."

"Do I win?"

He rolled her over with a grin. "Fine," he surrendered. "I suppose I could let you in on the news..." She looked at him expectantly, and his playful smile melted into a genuine one. "I'm so happy you burned the divorce papers in my face."

It was her turn to smile as she locked her hands behind his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "Being without you for so long helped me realize you were being dumb," she reasoned, shrugging a shoulder. "You were considering leaving, and look: you went and got yourself stuck in a coma for almost a year."

"What would I do without your charm and sensitivity?"

She smiled and ran a hand over his cheek lovingly. His jet colored hair had been shaved into a military buzz cut after having grown out so long during the coma. His dark eyes still shined the way they always had, and though he looked older after all that he'd been through, his smile made her feel as young as ever.

He pecked her lips softly and rested his forehead against hers. "Well, if you must know, there's a surprise on our doorstep," he said conspiratorially. She raised her thin blonde brows.

"Is there?" She looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table and gave him a doubtful look. "At four o'clock in the morning?" He nodded.

"Yup. You'll believe me in..." He looked at the clock on the wall and held up a finger. "Three, two, one..."

The doorbell ringing earned him a gratifyingly surprised look from his wife. "You're good," she praised as he laid down again. "You want to get that?"

He considered it for a second and shook his head. "You get it. I want to bask in the feeling of having the house to ourselves for loud sex for a couple more seconds." She shook her head, not even bothering to question what he meant as she wrapped herself in a robe.

"If I get robbed, I'm blaming you," she informed him. He barked a laugh.

"Whoever would dare try and rob _our_ house would be very stupid," he reasoned. "The house of a witch and a psychic? Not a smart move." She shrugged a shoulder.

"You're probably right."

The doorbell rang again and she briskly made her way to the front door. When she pulled it open, she frowned in confusion. She'd been secretly hoping that Benji would be standing at the door, and even so had expected it to be one of the Salvatore's or Alaric. But she was fairly certain that she'd never seen the girl standing on the doorstep before.

She had a surfer tan and bright green eyes framed by thick bangs, reminding Diane distantly of Benji. Her smooth hair was a rich brown color and hung just past her shoulders in a way that made it look like it had been freshly cut. Her clothes were tattered and covered in dust as if she'd walked along a dirt road all day, but that didn't seem to make much sense. The girl looked at her with tear-filled eyes and dropped her backpack on the floor.

"Sorry I'm late," she said quietly, looking down at the floor as she fought back the urge to cry. "It... was hard, coming back after everything." Diane frowned and looked down at the bag, swearing there was something familiar about it. It was just a normal black backpack, save for the Richmond EMT patch ironed on.

EMT...

She looked at the girl more carefully. The shape of her face, her height, her body... It couldn't be. The silver cross hanging at the girl's neck sparkled in the light, and with a gasp, she looked at her again, covering her mouth. It didn't make sense, she didn't even look like her, and how could-?

A sob broke free from her and she gripped the door frame as tears rolled down the girl's face, confirming what she was too scared to dare hope was true. "No, it can't be," Diane choked out, shaking her head. The girl nodded, stepped forward with outstretched arms and held the woman tightly. Diane started to shake, but wrapped her arms around the girl for dear life.

Joseph emerged from the hall then, smiling warmly as the girl buried her nose in the doctor's hair and whispered what the woman had been longing to hear with every fiber in her being, more than anything in her whole life.

"I'm home, Mom."

* * *

**Post-Chapter Note:**

**What happened will be explained in the next chapter, promise ;)**

**There's a reason she acted the way she did with Damon- what do you think?**

**And yes, the Elizabeth in the beginning is Elizabeth Knight.**

**Are you guys excited :D? I am! Please review with your input!**


	2. Entertaining Dangerous Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks so much for the positive feedback! I'm glad to know that you guys are as excited as I am for this sequel! Enjoy, and let me know what you guys think :)**

* * *

"Do you miss her?"

The question broke the relative silence that had settled in the room, and Damon rolled his eyes. He hadn't had a single problem with her cutting her first two periods to sneak into his room, not until she'd asked that question. With a groan, he sat up and threw his feet over the side of the bed.

"Don't try and make this into something it isn't," he ordered firmly, getting to his feet and grabbing a towel. "What you and I have is one thing. Questions, and emotions? Those are for Stefan. Either get that through your head, or get out."

"Geez Damon, it was just a question." Elena got out of bed as well, keeping her back to him as she pulled her clothes back on. "You don't have to be such an ass about it."

"Don't I?" he challenged, turning around. "Lately, it seems like all you want to do is make this emotional."

"Isn't it?"

He gritted his teeth. What was with the girl? "No, it isn't, Elena," he said slowly. "You are with my brother, supposedly because you love him. You are with me for comfort sex." He stopped, considering something. "I think the comforting period is over."

"Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed. "You're breaking up with me?"

"We were never together!" he yelled. "You showed up in my room one day, and we ended up sleeping together. You coming back was your decision, but we were never 'a thing'."

"You're going to regret this."

He rolled his eyes and stepped into the shower. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out," he called. Surely enough, the door slammed only a second later. He sighed and turned on the water, sticking his head under the cold stream.

He really didn't understand the teenager anymore. If showing up in his bedroom the night that Mikaela died wasn't enough, she acted one way when she was with him, and a completely different way when Stefan was around. He'd started to think of her as two different people, one in his bedroom, and another everywhere else. It was more believable than actually accepting the fact that Elena was demanding an emotional relationship with him.

And what the hell kind of a question was that, anyways? Did he miss her? Of course he fucking missed her, but she was dead! What the hell else was he supposed to do? He'd already run to Bree to demand some sort of help, and she'd informed him that there was nothing to be done. So, he'd returned to Mystic Falls, if only to pretend nothing had ever happened, and to hope that something or someone would come along to make his existence seem less meaningless.

A month and three days later, and he was still waiting.

* * *

"You're distracted."

Said with that tone of controlled disappointment, those two words meant one thing: Get over it. Elizabeth lowered her hands and gritted her teeth, biting back the urge to scream. She'd done that last week, and it hadn't worked out in her favor. Having a body of her own, she was still getting used to the onslaught of emotions that she hadn't experienced in a century and a half. It was a wonder people managed to not claw each others' eyes out all the time. Once she'd calmed down enough that she wouldn't yell if she opened her mouth, she looked up at him.

"You know why I'm distracted," she said, keeping the defensiveness to a minimum. Elijah's expression didn't change, but she could tell that he wanted to roll his eyes. "She threw me."

"The girl you gave a ride to," he clarified. She nodded, looking down at the grimoire in front of her to avoid meeting his gaze. "I've told you, it was only a coincidence, Eliza-"

"It wasn't a fucking coincidence!"

Her outburst was followed by a very awkward silence. Elijah raised a brow, but otherwise, seemed unaffected that she'd yelled at him. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment, but she didn't mutter an apology like she had last time. She was angry, and she didn't care if she was being disrespectful. Girls in the 21st century acted like that all the time.

"So, you can't bring yourself to wear a pair of jeans, but you've caught on to modern curse words?" The humor was clear in his voice, and, if anything, that irritated her more. Tired of his condescension, she stood up from the table and marched to the window, pulling open the shades. The sunlight ruined the spell he was pushing her to perform, but if she couldn't summon her magic, it didn't matter anyways. Elijah sighed and walked to the door, signaling that he would be leaving.

"Damn it, Elijah!" she exclaimed, slamming a hand on the wall. "Why can't you even _consider_-?"

"I watched her die, Elizabeth," he interrupted. His voice was calm, but she could hear the warning loud and clear. "I heard her heart stop beating. I was with her every second until she burned to death." He stopped, letting those details sink in. Elizabeth looked away, but set her jaw stubbornly. "You made up the parallels between Mikaela and this girl to give yourself false hope that she survived to help atone for your guilt."

"I'm not guilty. She made her choice."

"To die saving Damon Salvatore, yes," he agreed. "And you... What choice did you make when you thought you'd lose him? I recall a curse that plagued your whole bloodline, Miracle included." He looked at her with sad eyes and shook his head. "I don't need to tell you these things. You already know them. Don't you understand that's why you can't perform magic? You don't have peace."

"And how do you expect me to get it back?" she asked quietly. In spite of her pride, she knew that every word he'd said was true. But all he did was open the door and step out into the hallway, looking back at her to offer only one word of advice before closing the door behind him.

"Redemption."

* * *

Once on the front lawn of the apartment complex, Elijah pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and called the second person on speed dial. The vampire answered after the third ring. "Progress report, Gavin," he prompted. Gavin sighed.

"Elijah, I swear, I've wrung every contact I have dry," he began, "but without a picture or a proper description, I don't have anything to run on. Nobody's seen her or heard of a Kayla Knight."

"And Benjamin?"

"Same story," he said, the frustration clear. "I tried contacting his old girlfriend, but the witch set me on fire as soon as she realized who I was. I barely made it out of the house alive." Elijah closed his eyes and sucked in a calming breath.

"And the body?" he asked, bracing himself. "It hasn't shown up anywhere?" He heard the sound of a car door slamming in the background.

"I've done everything," he stated tiredly. "Hell, I even passed through Mystic Falls last week to make sure she didn't go home."

"Mikaela's dead, Gavin," Elijah reminded him. "Don't waste your time there, and focus on finding one of those two."

"Yeah..." It was clear that the dancer wasn't convinced. Elijah waited for the vampire to say what was on his mind, and after only a couple of seconds, he did. "Look, I saw her die, too," he began, his voice tight with emotion. "There is no way she survived. Hell, her body was rotting by the time Benji showed up and stole it from the apartment building's basement. But..." He stopped, taking a deep breath. "Elijah, I just have this gut feeling I can't shake. I mean, she cheated death over and over again. Why couldn't she do it again?"

Elijah couldn't bring himself to respond to that. He'd been thinking the same thing every day for the past month, and though he'd pretended to completely disregard Elizabeth's feelings on the matter, he couldn't help the suspicion that the encounter with the girl wasn't a mere coincidence. He didn't dare think that the girl was Mikaela in disguise, but maybe a psychic with a connection to the girl...

"Pass through Mystic Falls a second time," he decided. "Don't raise suspicion. The Salvatore's are still there, and the older brother could cause some trouble if he knows about your connection to Elizabeth and Mikaela."

"Way ahead of you, boss."

Elijah realized Gavin has already gotten to the town, once again reminding him of why he'd decided to use him in the first place. "Good. Call me with news, and remember, if you find her, don't hurt her." He snapped the phone shut and took a deep breath. He didn't dare hope. But, if the so-named Kayla Knight happened to show up in Mystic Falls...

He wasn't going to entertain those thoughts until he got some answers.

* * *

There was something very off about the girl.

Damon watched from across the street as Kayla punched, pushed, and kicked the punching bag as if her life depended on it. Her hair looked different and was pulled up into a ponytail, but he easily recognized the tan skin, green eyes and angry expression. She was wearing a borrowed t-shirt and leggings with the same ratty sneakers she'd had on the other day, but it wasn't her run-down clothes that made her stand out in the gym. It was the fact that she was there at all. The gym had shut down months ago when the owner had died, and yet somehow, there she was, working out inside the gym with only the sun coming in through the dusty windows for light.

He couldn't come up with a reason for the girl to be in Mystic Falls at all. If she was friends with Sydney, or any of Benji's friends for that matter, she would be in Richmond. Nobody had ever mentioned a girl named Kayla, and he'd been watching her all day to see if she interacted with anyone. She didn't. She'd shown up in Town Square with a heavy duffel bag and had wandered around before finally arriving at the gym, and working out there for easily two hours.

"Live for me?" The girl panted it out as she started punching the bag. "_Live for me?_" she repeated, louder this time. "What the hell kind of a message is that, 'Live for me'?" Damon frowned and leaned forward, unsure if he was imagining her talking to herself. Oh, he wasn't. Soon she was shouting the three words at the punching bag, kicking and punching furiously until she slipped. She landed on her backside, legs splayed out in front of her and uninjured. She stayed there for a couple of seconds, breathing heavily with her head dropped back, staring at the ceiling.

Once she'd calmed down somewhat, she stood up and grabbed her bag off the floor, hanging it over her shoulder as she marched to the front door. She locked the door behind her with a Master Key from heavy set of at least fifteen other keys and then started walking down the road. Damon stood up from his bench across the street and moved in, figuring he wasn't going to get a better opportunity.

"I'm here," he announced, falling in to step next to her. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, but didn't stop walking and didn't look at him.

"Good for you," she muttered sarcastically. "Go pick up your medal on the other side of town."

He raised his brows, surprised by the rudeness. "You're not very nice, are you?" he asked honestly. She shook her head.

"Not anymore."

"What happened?"

She shrugged. "I gave my life for a guy who started sleeping with his ex-girlfriend the very same day," she answered calmly. Damon stopped dead in his tracks, but she kept walking, clearly not very eager for his company.

It couldn't be true. Obviously he wasn't sleeping with his ex-girlfriend (Elena hardly qualified as his ex-anything), but it was too much of a coincidence. The first time he'd slept with Elena had been the day that Mikaela had died, and then this stranger said something like that... Before he could run after her, she stopped dead in her tracks and turned around, walking with a much brisker pace than before. He crossed his arms.

"Well, look who couldn't stay..." He trailed off as he caught sight of Gavin rounding the corner, eyes narrowed as he scanned the area. The dancer had pretty much disappeared after Mikaela died, which was strange, considering he was supposed to share an apartment with Mikaela in New York. Gavin caught sight of Kayla and started walking after her, not even noticing Damon standing right there.

"Kayla!" he called, reaching out for her. "Kayla, wait! Mikae-!"

In a second Kayla grabbed him by his neck and dragged him into an alley, slamming him against the brick wall. Damon stood frozen on the sidewalk, certain he'd heard him correctly. He'd been about to say "Mikaela", hadn't he? In a second Damon was in the alley, watching with wide eyes as Kayla held Gavin in place by his shirtfront, a wooden stake held against his heart and a syringe held to his throat.

"Don't... call me that," she hissed, baring her teeth menacingly. "The name's Kayla, got that?" Despite the multiple life threats (stake, syringe of some threatening fluid, a male back-up, a seriously pissed off woman), Gavin could only smile, his eyes filling with tears of relief.

"It _is _you!" he breathed, reaching up to touch her face. "You're alive!"

"Yeah, I'm alive," she confirmed, leaning closer. If not for the nature behind the action, Damon would have sworn she was leaning in to kiss him. "And I remember _everything_." That managed to bring him back to reality. He lowered his hand and looked down, hiding his face from them. Damon stood back, watching them with wide eyes. Normally he would have intervened, but something was happening, and he had a feeling that interfering would only make things worse, and not give him any answers. She didn't waste a second and began the interrogation. "Who sent you?"

"Elijah," he answered, not even bothering to look up. She cursed, but didn't let him go as he continued. "He has all of us searching for the body, you and Benji."

"What for?" she demanded. At that, Gavin hesitated and she shook him. "Answer me!"

"I can't!" he exclaimed. "If I say anything-!" Without waiting to hear what he would say, she shoved the stake an inch into his chest, eliciting a scream from him. Damon surged forward and grabbed her, but she completely ignored him, all of her attention focused on the dancer.

"Are you _insane_?" Damon exclaimed. "You can't just stake him!" His statement fell on deaf ears.

"Tell me!" she yelled in Gavin's face.

"I CAN'T!" he roared. Then, Damon saw it: his eyes were turning red, the veins around his eyes darkening as his survival instinct kicked in. Well, would would've thought the dancer was a vampire? Kayla seemed completely unsurprised and in a second she stuck the needle into his neck and emptied part of it. Gavin screamed with pain as the vervain coursed through him, but she was relentless.

"He already broke the curse! What the hell does he want?" she pressed, yelling over his screaming. "The Knight bloodline isn't bound anymore! We're supposed to be free from all of that business!" Miraculously, nobody had heard them yet.

"I can't tell you!" he insisted, tears pricking at his eyes. She raised her brows and pressed the needle harder into his neck. He grit his teeth and dug his fingers into the wall, obviously in an attempt to not dig his fingers into her throat and end his misery.

"Why not?" she asked coldly. "Have you been compelled?" She looked down at his hands and frowned. "He compelled you not to hurt me." It was a statement rather than a question, but even so, he nodded. She cursed again, but didn't let him go. "Damn it, Gavin! Why?" Still he didn't say anything. After deliberating for a moment, she yanked the stake out of him, but emptied the rest of the syringe into his throat. In a second he dropped to the ground unconscious, and she immediately proceeded to lay him flat on his back.

"Are you going to explain what's going on?" Damon finally asked, moving next to her while still listening for people walking by. Almost everyone was at school or at work, so luckily there was nobody within earshot. She straddled the vampire's chest and held his head between her hands, closing her eyes.

"Not to you, Damon," she answered calmly, dropping her head back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Be quiet," she ordered in a whisper. "I'm trying to listen." He grumbled and leaned against the wall, watching her. She was murmuring underneath her breath, her head twitching every couple of seconds as if she was having a nightmare. After about two minutes she opened her eyes and pulled her hands away, settling them on his shoulders.

"You do realize how sexual of a position that is, don't you?" He said it merely to piss her off, but all she did was look at him over her shoulder and raise a brow.

"This?" she asked, pointing at herself sitting on Gavin's chest. "This is a handshake compared to what you and Katherine have been doing whenever Stefan isn't around."

Even Mikaela couldn't reach that conclusion. He was sleeping with Elena, and how the hell did that girl know about Katherine? Damon opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand, and suddenly the words caught in his throat. He tried to move forward, but his feet were stuck to the ground, as well. The bitch had used magic on him!

Gavin groaned as he started to wake up, the effects of the vervain wearing off unusually quickly. He looked up at Kayla with wide eyes, and she braced her hands on the ground on either side of his head. Their faces were only inches apart, and it was everything for Damon to not roll his eyes: she was doing it on purpose.

"Now, you listen to me, and listen to me good," she ordered quietly. "You won't tell Elijah that Kayla Knight was here. Everything is exactly as it was the last time you passed through. But, you overheard Diane tell Damon something about Benji being in Pittsburgh, and needing a coffin made out of rosewood to keep Mikaela's body in."

"I can't lie to him," Gavin said, clearly distressed. The stake lied only a foot away from her hand, and he was weakened by the vervain. "He'll just compel me to tell him the truth about seeing you."

"The vervain in your system will help you resist his compulsion for twenty-four hours," she stated, holding up the empty syringe. "If you keep the detail about me being here from Elijah, I'll find you and make a deal so that you can be supplied with enough vervain to keep your free will."

"Why would you try to help me?" he asked, brows furrowed with confusion. "If you remember-"

"You were Mikaela's friend," she interrupted, sitting up. "And you had a good reason for stabbing her in the back." He didn't say anything, and she shrugged a shoulder. "Don't worry, I already checked through your head. I get it." She got off of him and nodded to the exit of the alleyway. "Now go, before the vervain wears off." He stood up and looked at her cautiously, taking in every detail. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, and ran off at his natural speed.

Once the newer vampire was gone, she looked at Damon and placed her hand in the middle of his chest. The spell was lifted and he could move again, as well as speak. "Thanks for keeping your voice down," she muttered sarcastically, grabbing her bag from the ground where she'd dropped it. "Private matters, you understand."

"What the hell is going on here?" he exclaimed, pointing after where Gavin ran off. "Señor Twinkle Toes is a vampire?"

"Only as of a month ago," she answered boredly, picking up the bloody stake and stuffing it into her duffel bag. "After he betrayed Mikaela and she died, he asked Elijah to change him so that he could shut off his emotions. He hasn't had any luck with that so far, though; the spirits don't allow him any peace."

"Wait, he betrayed her?" he repeated. She nodded.

"He'd been spying on her for years," she explained, walking out onto the sidewalk. He followed. "Turns out he has a relative in jail, and Elijah promised to get him out."

"Did he?"

"Surprisingly, yes." They turned a corner and entered a parking lot packed with cars.

"And Benji's in Pittsburgh? Calling for a rosewood coffin?"

She scoffed. "Of course not. That was a total lie. Benji's in Richmond," she said, rolling her eyes. "Where else would he be?"

"How do you know these things?"

She shrugged. "Psychic, witch, take your pick," she replied, waving a hand. "Or, better yet, don't, and just leave me the hell alone."

"Look, will you just stop for a second?" He held her back and braced himself, expected a blow of some kind. She didn't hit him though, and simply stopped, looking at him expectantly. He took a breath and let go of her arm. "Look, Mikaela was my girlfriend. She died a month ago, and I have no idea why."

"There is such a thing as investigating," she said slowly. "You could take a leaf out of Benji's book and do just that." He grit his teeth and took a breath.

"See, that's the thing. Benji disappeared a day later," he continued. "None of us knew why he left. I went to a witch for help, and she couldn't tell me anything. And now you come along, using her nickname and her ancestor's last name, and you seem to know everything about what happened."

"Psychic, remember?" she said, tapping her forehead. He growled.

"And then you do that!" he pressed. "And you knew my name without asking, and Gavin went and called you Mikaela, and-!"

"The point, Damon!" she exclaimed. He grabbed her shoulders and lowered his head so that he was eye level with her.

"Where is she?" he asked. "And what do you have to do with her?" She didn't say anything at first and simply stared at him, but after a couple of seconds, she did the last thing he could have expected: she giggled. Her giggles broke into full-blown cold laughter, and with a twist, she was well out of his grip. She pulled out her car keys and walked over to, ironically enough, a black Land Rover, almost identical to Mikaela's old car.

"You know, a question like that?" she said, still holding back laughter as she threw the duffel bag into the trunk. "You should run it by your little 'fun buddy' Katherine. Emily told her about all of the loopholes to the curse."

"I haven't seen Katherine since 1864!" he yelled, his patience running short. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth, then laughed again.

"So, it's Elena you're sleeping with!" she exclaimed, then gasped. "Wow, that's awkward!" She opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat, slamming the door shut and opening at the window as she backed the car out of its parking spot. She stopped in front of him and looked him straight in the eyes, leaning out so they were only inches apart. Mikaela's scent invaded his senses, and for a moment he closed his eyes. It had to be the same car with a new paint job, because the smell was just so perfect...!

"What makes you think I would want to see you anyways, now that you've replaced me with a doppelganger?" she asked, her voice deep and just loud enough for him to hear. He opened his eyes and her face was an inch from his, her eyes a deep brown instead of their natural green. She cocked her head to the side. "You want to know where I am? Well where the hell did the man I fell for disappear to?"

And in a second, she was gone.

* * *

It had been unanimously decided between Joseph, Diane and Kayla that it would be better if she didn't stay with them in the house. A month earlier and the next choice would have naturally been the boarding house, but both Joseph and Kayla knew about Damon's illicit relationship with the Petrova doppelganger, and hadn't even mentioned the house.

So, instead, she was staying at Zack's old loft.

Yes, for some reason or another, Zack had a loft. Apparently, when the fear of vampires showing up on his doorstop would keep him up at night, he would simply spend the night at said loft. He shared the rent with Joseph and Diane, who would use it for their own reasons as well (Diane for spells and Joseph for meditation), but it had been empty for several months already, and had needed a good dusting when Kayla had moved in.

It was a studio with one bathroom and a full-size bed pushed in the corner close to the window. The walls were painted a light beige and the floors were fake hardwood, but the general feel actually reminded her of the boarding house, sans the antique décor and luscious rugs. Or maybe she just wanted it to remind her of the boarding house. Either way, after she'd showered and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, she started a thorough cleaning of the place and found a large rug in the closet. She used it to cover up the witch's circle that Diane had lightly carved into the floor.

Music blasted from the sound system she'd connected to her laptop, which was actually Joseph's old laptop, borrowed indefinitely. As she scrubbed down the tiles in the bathroom, she almost didn't hear the sound of someone knocking on the front door. When she did realize that someone was at the door, she ignored them. Joseph and Diane had keys, and whoever else wanted to talk to her could get in line behind Elijah, Elizabeth and Gavin. But, the person kept on knocking. She finished cleaning the bathroom and walked out with her bucket of cleaning supplies, only to find that the knocking was still going on. Blowing her bangs out of her face, she finally pulled open the door, balancing the bucket on her hip and cocking her head to the side.

"You have _got _to be kidding me."

Damon stood in the doorway with Elena standing next to him, both watching her with cautious eyes as if she was an animal backed into a corner. "Kayla, I swear I didn't bring her," Damon began. "We ran into each other outside. She's been looking for you, too, and-"

"Save it, Salvatore," she interrupted, turning to Elena. She forced a sweet smile. "Hi, it's a pleasure. The name's Kayla."

"Damon already explained it to me," Elena said tentatively, looking Kayla over. Kayla knew what she was searching for: similarities with Mikaela. She wouldn't find many. "I know you're Mi-"

"I'm not Mikaela," Kayla cut off, her tone bored. "That girl's dead. So, we can skip the reunion part and just jump to the part where you tell me what the hell it is you want."

"Whether you're Mikaela or not, we know you're in some sort of trouble," she insisted. "With the same man who killed Mikaela."

"Elijah didn't kill Mikaela," Kayla corrected, rolling her eyes. "She died of natural causes. Burns, specifically." She paused for a moment. "Ironic, isn't it? That's what they used to do to us psychics back in the day."

"So, you're a psychic?" Elena ventured. "With a connection to Mikaela?" Kayla considered that.

"Sure, we can roll with that," she agreed, shrugging a shoulder. She pulled a spray bottle out of the bucket and looked at it curiously. "Hey, Elena, do you do the cleaning at your house? Or does Jenna do it?"

"We all help out," Elena answered, smiling slightly. They'd wandered into the land of day-to-day conversation, so that had to be a good thing. Kayla smiled back and unscrewed the bottle, sniffing.

"Good, because I've been using this bottle of mystery cleaner, and I don't know if it's bleach or Oxi-Clean or just nasty water," she commented, screwing the sprayer back on. "How about you tell me?" And she sprayed Elena in the face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Damon exclaimed, surging forward. He was blocked by the invisible barrier that not having an invitation created, and safe behind the barrier, she continued to spray at Elena. Elena covered her eyes and cried out in pain, dropping to her knees.

"Stop it!" she screamed, scrambling away. Once she was out of range of the spray bottle, Kayla set her bucket on the floor and grabbed a grenade off the kitchen counter. Without an ounce of hesitation, she pulled the ring off of it and threw it at Elena. She grabbed Damon's jacket and pulled him inside.

"Get in here, Salvatore," she ordered. "That's vervain." The grenade exploded and was followed by more shrill screams of pain. She marched out of the apartment with a syringe in hand and the spray bottle and straddled the screaming girl, sticking the needle into her chest. Damon tried to run out and assist Elena, but just as he hadn't been able to go inside without an invitation, he couldn't leave, either. Elena screamed and Mikaela jumped off of her in a second, bolting for her apartment. She'd hardly set foot on the hardwood when Damon grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" he demanded.

"Let go of me," she warned.

"Why'd you attack-?" She lifted the spray bottle and sprayed him in the face. The liquid burned into his skin and he let her go with an angry roar.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" she yelled over his screams. "That's Katherine, not Elena! It's been her all along!"

And finally, he realized her screaming had stopped. Still wincing from the vervain she'd sprayed in his face, he turned to look at the doorway, bracing himself. Kayla crossed her arms and walked up to the doorway, waiting. Not even a second later Katherine stood there, hands on her hips and an impressed look on her face.

"Well check out little miss Buffy," she mused, looking Kayla over with a calculating eye. "Cute." Damon stared at the vampire in the doorway, slowly getting to his feet.

"Katherine?" he asked. She smiled seductively at him and waved.

"Damon," she greeted. Kayla grit her teeth.

"Get outta here, Katherine," Kayla ordered, nodding at the staircase. "You've overstayed your welcome."

"Oh, have I?" she asked, smirking. "Damon wouldn't be so quick to agree, would you, lover?" Damon was still reeling from the sudden changes in his circumstances and could only stare disbelievingly at Katherine. Kayla seemed completely unaffected, and simply held up the syringe of Katherine's blood.

"I've performed a spell that's only missing your blood," she informed her. "Once complete, you won't be able to hurt me without hurting yourself." Katherine chuckled.

"Now, why would I want to hurt you?" she asked with fake sweetness. "You _are _Mikaela, but I already eliminated Elizabeth, didn't I? You're useless, and not a threat." Kayla smiled coldly.

"Because, I may not be Elizabeth, but the one thing we have in common with her is that I'm still the girl with a direct connection to Elijah, which means I have an indirect connection to Klaus, and unlike Elizabeth, I don't play nice and kill myself when you sleep with my boyfriend," she stated simply. Katherine visibly paled and stiffened, the panic clearly setting in. Kayla chuckled. "So, you're going to leave Mystic Falls, now."

"You'd better have a high tolerance for pain," Katherine warned, backing away. "I don't take well to threats."

"Honey, I burned to death," Kayla informed her with a wink. "Bring it." And with a final glare, the vampire was gone.

Kayla heaved a sigh and closed the door, locking it shut and sliding in the chain. She turned around to see Damon leaning against the wall, staring at the door with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Even vampires could enter a state of shock, apparently. She walked to the kitchen and pulled two glass cups out of the cupboard along with a glass bottle. After she'd poured two drinks, she walked over to Damon and held one out for him.

"Whiskey," she explained. He took the glass and downed it in a second. Raising her brows, she handed him the bottle, which he gratefully accepted. "I don't have a couch yet, but you should really sit down," she suggested, nodding to the bed. "Katherine's a big deal."

"I'm fine."

She shrugged and walked over to the rug. "Suit yourself." She gulped down half her drink and sat Indian-style on the rug, balancing her elbows on her knees. "Are you okay?" she asked. At first he didn't answer. After a minute of silence, he walked over and leaned against the window, finally looking at her.

"How did you know it was Katherine?" he asked. She chuckled and scratched the back of her head.

"Elena wouldn't cheat on Stefan like that," she explained. "I saw you two together in visions, but I didn't even consider it was Elena, which is why you surprised me when you said it was her."

"And that was it?" he pressed. She nodded.

"Pretty much."

He shook his head and poured himself another drink. She finished hers and held out her cup for a refill, which he gave, only he filled it considerably more than she'd filled her own. "And you... Who are you?" he asked. She looked at him with a half smile.

"Haven't figured it out yet?" she asked, raising a brow. He frowned and looked her over.

"You're... Mikaela," he said doubtfully. She nodded slowly. "I guess I can see the resemblance." She chuckled.

"Don't worry, there isn't supposed to be a resemblance," she assured him. "When I was brought back, my body wasn't much more than a skeleton with rotting tissue. So, when it healed, it took on the appearance of the one who saved me." Damon narrowed his eyes.

"Benji," he concluded. She nodded in confirmation. "So that's why you look the way you do."

"Yup."

"And the name change?"

She snickered. "Being Mikaela got me killed. I'm hoping for some new luck with a new start and a new name." She shrugged. "And Benji suggested it."

"Where is he now?"

"I told you earlier, he's in Richmond," she reminded him. He shook his head, eyes focused on her face.

"There's something else," he stated. "If he was able to, he'd be on you like white on rice right now." At that statement she took a drink and laid back on her elbows.

"He's... buried in Richmond," she clarified, eyes focusing on the wall. Damon didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. "In order to give me life, a human life had to be given. It's the balance of nature."

"So he sacrificed himself for you?"

She nodded. They elapsed into silence, and he took advantage of the moment to look at her. Her hair was loose now and just barely brushed her shoulders, but it was soft and feathery and seemed to move even with no wind. Her attention was focused elsewhere, but he knew that she could tell he was watching. He didn't care. One minute she was saying Mikaela was dead, and the next she was saying she was the girl come back to life. Which was it?

"Staring is rude," she informed him.

"If you're Mikaela, why do you act like you hate me so much?" he asked, the question coming out like a challenge. She scoffed and finished her drink.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked.

"Seeing as I'm asking, no, it isn't."

She stood up and walked to the front door. "When I came back, my visions got a bit... out of control," she said carefully, opening the door. "Among the things I saw, I saw what you've been doing for the past month. Primarily, I saw you and Katherine." She nodded at the exit. "Call me petty, but it bothers me that my boyfriend couldn't even wait for my body to get cold before moving on to the next conquest." When he didn't move, she pointed to the stairs. "Get out."

"That's not fair," he argued, but she didn't seem to hear him. "I thought you were dead-"

"Don't tell anyone that I'm here," she continued. "The less people that know, the better."

"Are you listening to me?"

"No, I'm not."

He was standing in front of her then, fists balled at his sides and a frustrated look on his face. "Dammit Mikaela, don't do this." He slammed the door shut and grabbed her shoulders. She immediately held up her hands to hold him back. "That last day, when I stayed over at your house to help you sleep, I heard you."

"Heard me what?" she asked, glaring. "Because whatever it was had you avoiding me like the plague."

"You said that you love me," he answered. The color left her face and she clenched her jaw. That was when he finally saw it: something familiar. Her expression was Mikaela's, the way she straightened her back and lifted her chin defensively so identical to the woman he'd fallen for, there wasn't an ounce of doubt in his mind that it was her.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Then it can be said in past tense now, because I'm quite over it."

"No, you're not." Before she could argue, he held the back of her neck and pulled her forward, crushing his lips against hers. She made a sound of protest and tried to push him away, but he ignored her struggle and wrapped his other arm around her waist, holding her completely against him. She tried to turn her head and he moved with her, coaxing her to give in to him. Her mouth stayed firmly closed and her hands continued trying to push his face away, to no avail.

"Dammit Damon!" she exclaimed, finally managing to turn away. He didn't stop, instead running his tongue down her neck and then to her ear. "Get off of me! We're over, don't you get that? We're done, over! There's nothing-!"

"Just shut up," he muttered huskily. "You're only kidding yourself."

She growled and grabbed his face, pulling it up so that he was looking at her. "You already let me go," she stated. "When I died, you accepted that and let me go. Your feelings aren't the same."

"You're right," he agreed. "Before, when you said that you loved me, I ran. But this month put everything into perspective."

"Please, don't..."

"I love you."

He said it quietly, but just loud enough for her to hear. She closed her eyes and sighed, lowering her head. "You had to go and say it, didn't you?" She muttered, gripping his shirt. Before he could respond she had her arms locked behind his neck and she was kissing him, pulling him with her as she stepped back to the living room. He followed, lifting her up and running the rest of the way. He laid her down on the rug and she rolled him over, straddling his waist and holding him down by his shoulders.

"This whole month has been nothing short of hell," she said, her eyes bright with suppressed tears, "and I know that things aren't suddenly perfect. But, if you could mean what you said..." She took a deep breath and got off of him, laying down next to him instead. "... It would make all of it a lot easier to deal with."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing the back of her head softly. "I mean it," he whispered. He breathed in her scent, loving how little it had changed, and pulled her closer. "I missed you so much," he confessed.

He couldn't see the tears rolling down her cheeks as she nodded and closed her eyes. She wouldn't deny herself the moment of happiness, even if she knew it would be over within hours. Elijah was searching for her, Katherine was back in town, and several disturbing images she'd seen in her visions had yet to unfold. She knew they would never be able to just have "normal", but if there was one thing she'd learned in her time away, it was that she'd take abnormal over nothing any day.

"I missed you, too."

* * *

"So, you found nothing?"

Elijah could practically hear Gavin gulp through the phone, steadying his nerves. "Nothing, Elijah," Gavin assured him. "Damon's still on his self-destructive streak and Diane is in therapy, but otherwise, the town has moved on."

"And the girl, Kayla Knight?"

Gavin took longer to respond to that question. "Nobody's seen her," he finally answered. Knowing it was a lie, Elijah sighed and got into his rental car. It hadn't been too much of a hassle to check security footage of the bus station and see what bus the girl had gotten into, and the moment he'd seen it, he'd gotten on the first flight to Richmond, Virginia. The coincidences were piling up, as were the variables he couldn't control.

"Are you certain of that, Gavin?" he asked calmly.

"Yes, sir."

"And if I happened to show up at your apartment and compelled the truth out of you, would your story be the same?" he challenged. Gavin let out a shaky breath.

"Elijah, I'm telling the truth," he insisted. "Nobody knows who Kayla Knight is."

Lies. Elijah nodded. "Alright Gavin," he accepted. "If that's your story..." He hung up the phone and started the car, turning on to the fastest route to the damn town of Mystic Falls.

* * *

**Post-Chapter Note:**

**Let me know what you all thought :)!**


	3. A Day of Relief

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! I'm loving the new story format that gave the stories. Any of you willing to make me a story cover...? My photo editing skills are pretty much worth zero points...**

**Either way, thanks so much for the positive feedback :D I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story! I figured I'd give the characters some relief in this chapter, but things get pretty intense here on out. I love the Original story line, so I'm eager to bring them in :) And are you guys suffering as much as I am during the summer hiatus...!**

**So, please let me know what you guys thought, okay? Enjoy!**

* * *

"You know what to do." The short message was followed by a beep.

"Kayla, I've been calling you since yesterday," Sydney said crossly, climbing into her car and starting it. "I got a call from Gavin, and he says that he's worried Elijah didn't believe him. I'm going to Mystic Falls to pick you up, right now. I told you going back to that damn town was a bad idea." She ended the call and tossed the cellphone onto the passenger seat with her purse. As she pulled out of the driveway of the house she'd once shared with her husband, she could only think of Benji and the last day they'd spent together.

With her larger-than-average chest, her bleach-blonde hair and her affair that ended her disaster of a marriage, it was easy for others to judge. Lord knew that her late uncle, Richard Lockwood, and his wife had judged her when they'd heard of her divorce. She was regarded as a mindless bimbo with no hope other than to marry some rich guy and hope that he take care of her.

But truly, she didn't care. The rights and wrongs of adultery aside, Benji had given her a new chance at life. He'd reminded her of what it felt like to be treasured, and that had meant the world, especially when she'd been dealing with the knowledge of her accountant husband's secret affair with his secretary for months. Benji had been the one to open her eyes. After only three months of their relationship, he'd given her the courage she needed to file for a divorce with her husband, and had helped her establish financial independence by opening her own beauty salon rather than continuing working minimum wage at her ex-mother-in-law's business. He'd cosigned for her house, and her car had been the first thing she'd bought with her own money.

As simple as those things seemed, his support had given her back her strength, and fulfilling her last promise to him was the least that she could do. He'd warned her several weeks before that he was going to get Mikaela back, and most likely wouldn't survive. Yes, Sydney knew all about the whole mess: Benji had come clean about being a vampire after the first time they'd slept together. She'd accepted his secret, because, well, she had a secret of her own. As far as she knew, he'd carried that secret with him to the grave.

The grave... He'd arrived in a coffin with a dark wooden stain. It had been unlocked so she could look inside, but she'd only done so long enough to give him a kiss goodbye before laying him to rest in her family's plot. She wanted to remember him as being as alive as he'd made her feel for the short time they'd been together.

The day Kayla showed up on her doorstep was one she doubted she'd ever forget. The girl's face had been red and blotchy, her cheeks sticky with tears and her bloodshot eyes filled with new ones to spill. Her clothes had been a wreck, her jeans torn on one knee and the hemming on her t-shirt completely undone. And she was skinny and her cheeks sunken, clearly from hunger. She hadn't seen someone so broken in a long time, and as much as she yearned for Benji's arms like the air she breathed, she doubted that anyone mourned him like the girl did. Even if he hadn't made her swear to take care of Kayla as if she was her own, Sydney knew she would have the moment she'd laid eyes on that distraught face that looked so much like his had.

Her phone rang and she picked up without checking the caller ID. "Yeah."

"He's in Mystic Falls," Gavin said breathlessly. Sydney unconsciously increased the pressure on the gas pedal.

"What?" she exclaimed. "How do you know that?"

"Compelled my friend at the phone company to run the GPS on his phone," he explained quickly. "And I don't want to hear another word about the lack of morality it demonstrates to take away someone's free will." She rolled her eyes: that had been only once!

"Geez, how bad of a liar are you?"

"He's over a thousand fucking years old!" Gavin yelled. "I'm barely twenty-one! Of course he knew I was lying! Are you there yet?"

"I just left my house," she said, turning on to the main road. "Where are you?"

"Driving," he answered quickly. "I'm going to D'Angelo's to pick up the vervain you left."

"Turn around, I'll pick you up at your apartment," she ordered. "I have vervain, and we don't have time."

"See you in five."

"Fine."

Funny how in a matter of twenty-four hours, she'd gone from setting the vampire on fire on sight to picking him up at his apartment. In the back of her mind she could hear Benji laughing at her frustration, and that alone was enough to put a smile on her face.

* * *

The world did not exist within the confines of her apartment.

Sunlight had just started to stream in through the windows, but still Kayla didn't move from her position on the bed. She simply stared at the rays of light peeking through the curtain and watched as the dust danced through the air. His arm hung heavily over her side as if to keep her from moving away, which was most likely the case. The last time they'd parted ways after sleeping together, she'd died. A groan followed by a kiss to the base of her neck alerted her that he was awake. She smiled and moved closer to him, reveling in the warmth he provided.

"Good morning sunshine," she said, turning around so that they were face-to-face. He propped himself up on his elbow and laid his hand on her cheek, leaning in to kiss her forehead. She lifted her head and kissed his lips, smiling when he moved so he was hovering over her. He trapped her with his arms and his legs at her sides and deepened the kiss, making her dizzy as she forgot her surroundings and simply lost herself in sensation. After a while, he pulled back to let her breathe.

"Good morning Twinkle Toes," he greeted, smirking at her dazed expression. She smiled and locked her hands behind his neck.

"God, I missed hearing you call me that," she admitted, playing with his hair. She looked past him at the clock on the wall and then turned back to him. "Is it really noon?"

He nodded. "Yup. Want breakfast?" he asked. She wrinkled her nose.

"Are you gonna cook?" she asked worriedly. He nipped her neck with his teeth and she cried out, laughing as she tried to push him off.

"I happen to be an excellent cook," he stated, getting up from the bed. She sat up as he wandered to the kitchen, opening the pantry. After analyzing the contents, he opened the refrigerator. Less than two seconds later he closed it and raised a brow at her. "Please tell me you have a hidden stash of food somewhere that isn't cereal and milk."

"I've only been here for a couple of days!" she exclaimed defensively, throwing her feet off the side of the bed.

"And what have you been eating?" he probed, pulling the milk out of the refrigerator.

"Mom's been cooking," she answered, standing up. She still wore the same shorts and oversized t-shirt she'd been wearing the day before, so she pulled the shirt off and tossed it on the floor by the bed. It was only after she'd discarded the garment that she remembered she had company, and that prancing around the apartment shirtless like she'd been doing was considered inappropriate.

As romantic as it would have been for their first real time to have happened upon their reunion, the two had fallen asleep on the floor and at some point around 3 AM Damon had carried her to the bed, inviting himself to spend the night. Not much physical contact had been made beyond the occasional kiss and the constant embrace he'd only just released her from. And yet, when she looked over to the kitchen, she felt her cheeks flush with awareness at the force of his stare.

His jaw was clenched tight and his eyes darkened as he looked at her, not even bothering to hide his staring. His eyes swept slowly over her, starting at her bare shoulders and going lower, past the black sports bra to her flat stomach and down her long legs. Embarrassed, she grabbed her towel off the bed rail and hung it over her shoulder, shielding part of her body.

"Shower," she muttered, gesturing at the bathroom. He shook his head.

"Breakfast," he corrected, pointing at the two bowls he'd pulled out of the cabinets. She stepped back to grab her shirt, and he shook his head. "Don't dress up on my behalf."

"Damon," she warned. He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I've already gotten to second base," he reasoned. "Given you looked a little bit different when I did, my argument still stands."

"That's not the point!" she exclaimed, blushing.

"Then what is?" he asked innocently. She was certain that later on, she would be able to come up with a reasonable response, but at that particular moment, she couldn't formulate an argument. So, holding her head up high, she sat down at one of the stools against the kitchen counter and nodded at one of the cereal boxes.

"I'll have Frosted Flakes," she announced, folding her hands on the counter and focusing her eyes on the bowl. Barely suppressing his victorious smirk, he poured the cereal, never removing his eyes from her face. He handed her a spoon and she poured the milk herself, but after only a minute under his gaze, she sighed exasperatedly and looked at him.

"Do I have something on my face?" she demanded. He chuckled and leaned forward, kissing her softly on the lips. Her eyes fluttered shut of their own will and she leaned forward, not wanting him to pull back. He smiled and broke away, shaking his head.

"Damn, I missed you."

They elapsed into silence as they both started to eat, but neither of them could keep the smiles off their faces as they simply enjoyed finally being in each others' company again.

* * *

The motel. The boarding house. Diane's house. The funeral parlor.

Neither Kayla nor Benji could be found in any of the four places Elijah had searched, so he made his way to Mystic Falls General Hospital. If Diane was still in town, she would be working. Ever since her husband had fallen into the coma (according to Gavin), her life had been reduced to work, little sleep, short meals and the occasional drinking spree in the Mystic Grill. Seeing as it was only nine o'clock in the morning, he figured she wouldn't be drinking yet, and the house was empty. So, as he walked in through the glass doors that led into the emergency room, he searched for the blonde head of curly hair characteristic of the witch.

The emergency room was almost empty with only a young nurse on duty and an elderly couple waiting in the cushioned chairs. He made his way straight for the nurse, who was typing boredly into her computer. She looked to be in her early twenties, and looked like she was already longing to go home, even if she couldn't have been more than a couple of hours into her shift. When he reached the counter, she looked up at him expectantly.

"Hi, I'm looking for Dr. Greene," he said, using his most modern American accent. "She called and asked me to pass by." The nurse smiled politely at him, comforted on by his lack of emergency ailments.

"She's with a patient right now, but she should be done in a couple of minutes," she said. She made a gesture at the chairs in the waiting room. "You could wait for her here." He thanked the nurse and followed her suggestion, sitting down and picking up a magazine to leaf through. The nurse resumed her typing and the elderly couple glanced over at him, but he only distantly kept tabs on them, instead focusing on listening. Hospitals were always a little difficult to listen in. What with the machinery, constant speaking and closed setting, it took effort to filter through the noise until he found the voice he wanted to hear.

"What do you mean you haven't heard from her? It's Friday," Diane said distractedly, rummaging through paperwork.

"I mean that she isn't answering her phone," a male voice said, his voice tinny as if it were coming through a cellphone. "Has she called you?"

"No, not yet," she answered. "Do you think something happened?"

"I haven't seen anything yet, but I can't help but feel a little concerned," the man admitted. "Damon's been getting out more now, so there's a chance they might run into each other again, and I swear, if my vision turns out to be true-"

"Honey, don't stress yourself out so much," she said soothingly. "Kayla's gotten pretty good at warding off the Salvatore."

Elijah kept a composed expression and turned the page in his magazine, not wanting to alert anyone that something important had just happened. Kayla existed, and was in Mystic Falls.

He chuckled. "You're right," he said, letting out a breath. "Alright, I'll check at the house."

"Why don't you check the loft? Last I spoke to her, she was buying Oxi Clean and bleach to clean the bathroom," Diane recalled. The sound of a chair scraping along the floor announced that she was standing up.

"I'm worried about showing up and finding _him _there with her," he muttered. She laughed, a sound Elijah couldn't recall coming from the woman very often.

"Damon wouldn't dare lay a hand on Kayla," she stated confidently. "Last time I checked, she hates him."

At least that was a relief. Last thing he needed was either of the Salvatore brothers getting involved.

"I wouldn't be so sure," he said, unconvinced. "Either way, I'll call you if anything happens. Love you."

"Love you, too."

By the time Diane stepped out of her office, Elijah was already running down the road, setting a new plan in motion. Kayla Knight was real, and her being in Mystic Falls further confirmed her connection to Mikaela and Elizabeth. If she gave Elizabeth her name, he doubted she would be living in a place under the alias. She would be living somewhere that her parents owned, or possibly even Benji.

A visit to City Hall was in order.

* * *

"Stefan hates himself for missing Elizabeth," Kayla murmured, running her fingers through his hair. "He keeps visiting my grave and apologizing when Elena isn't around." Damon nodded, still not opening his eyes. They were on the bed again and she sat with her back against the wall while he rested his head on her lap, relaxing. She'd managed to take a shower and was wearing a tank top and yoga pants, casual wear. There was no way she'd be leaving the apartment any time soon.

"Bonnie's probably the worst off," she went on. "She's the one who feels the most guilty because of the love spell. Elena's letting it go."

"I haven't seen much of Judgy lately," he commented.

"She's avoiding you."

"Figures. Who else?"

"I saw a bit of Caroline," she went on. "Is she a vampire now?"

Damon scoffed. "As if. The girl's probably the most human person in this town."

Realizing something, she frowned. "Why haven't Stefan or Elena called asking for anything yet?" He frowned and pretended to contemplate something, keeping his eyes closed.

"Hmm... Check my back pocket. I think my phone's in there," he said, nodding to the left. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, and even if he couldn't see it, she knew he could feel it. "What? You're the one who asked about Elena and Stefan."

"Does everything revolve around sex for you?" she asked, but even as she said it, she was reaching up behind him and slipping her hand into the back pocket.

"In this position, yes," he confirmed. She raised a brow once she withdrew her hand from his pocket.

"It's empty," she informed him.

"Oh, darn!" he said with fake dismay. "Then it must be in the other pocket." She turned him onto his side and looked instead of actually checking the pocket. "Stop looking at my butt. It makes me feel like I'm being objectified."

"Both of your pockets are empty."

"Well then..." he trailed off, finally opening his eyes and giving her a meaningful look. She glared at him. "What? I've been a perfect gentleman all night! I swear I did not have more than one indecent thought sleeping next to you!" She crossed her arms and he surrendered. "...Per hour. But still!"

She rolled her eyes and, before he could continue, both of her hands were in his front pockets, briskly searching for a cellphone. The left pocket was empty, but her fingers brushed a small cold object in the right pocket, and with a triumphant look on her face, she pulled it out and held it in front of his face. "Ha! See? _Not_ a cell..." Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what was in her hand, and in her surprise, it slipped out of her fingers. Damon was watching her carefully for a reaction, trying to determine her level of shock.

It was a ring. Silver with a pearl set between two Celtic knots, it was simple and beautiful, and not just any ring. It was the ring from her last memory as Mikaela. The two of them had been sitting on a swing in a cabin, staring out at the Rockies with their hands intertwined, an engagement ring sitting on her left hand and a matching silver band on his. He looked at her worriedly and brushed her hair away from her forehead.

"Are you alright?" he asked after a minute. She swallowed and licked her lips.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, her voice coming out rougher than she'd intended. He shrugged.

"It was my mother's engagement ring," he explained. Moving slowly so as not to startle her, he sat up and picked the ring up, but held it in his closed hand where she couldn't see it. "I found it when I got my memories of Elizabeth back."

"It was for her?"

He shook his head and moved forward, straddling her legs. His knees framed her hips, still keeping her close even as they sat. "Actually... It was for you," he said quietly, taking her right hand. "I mean, obviously I wasn't proposing, but..." He shrugged again, placing the ring carefully in the palm of her hand and closing it. "...Well, I wanted you to have it."

Her hands shook as she realized what he was doing. He could have Katherine back, the woman he'd loved for 145 years, but he was giving her a piece of him nobody else could ever have. She opened her hand and looked at the ring, tears filling her eyes. She slipped it onto her ring finger and smiled when it was a perfect fit.

"Thank you," she whispered roughly. She cleared her throat and looked up at him, taking a deep breath. "Thank you," she said more clearly. He put a hand to her cheek and rested his forehead against hers.

"Thank you for coming back."

* * *

"Where the hell is she?" Sydney exclaimed, losing her patience as she and Gavin stepped out of the Mystic Grill. Gavin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, spiking it up even more than normal.

"I've run out of ideas," he admitted, looking around. "Are you sure there isn't some witchy-?"

"We already tried that!" she snapped irritably, marching across the street to her car. "Locator spells aren't working." He dutifully followed.

"And she didn't tell you where she's staying?" he pressed. She stopped in front of her car and crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"Thanks to backstabbers like you, her mother went and put more magical protection on the girl's doorstep than there is in the White House," she said accusingly. "You can't get in unless she invites you in, and you can't get out unless she tells you to, whether you're a vampire or a human. Even if you do find the building, you won't be able to find her apartment unless she's in there and expecting you. To top it all off, the apartment and the whole floor is soundproofed, so even your vampire skills are useless in this situation."

"Her mother could do all of that?" he said, his eyes wide with amazement. She scoffed.

"There's little that woman can't do," she muttered. "She's a Knight witch. They're kind of one of the elite bloodlines."

"So the witchy stuff is genetic?" he asked curiously. She considered that for a moment.

"Not really," she admitted. "It runs in the family, but not everyone gets the magic, and being from a strong family doesn't make you strong."

"So what's up with the Knight bloodline?" he pressed. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, like I'd divulge you with the secrets of the bloodline."

"Fine. Then why don't we just go talk to her?" he asked.

"Yeah, you go right on ahead and wander into a hospital crawling with injured persons and blood bags to talk to the woman whose daughter's death you share in the responsibility for," she said sarcastically. "Spectacular idea."

"You don't have to be so snippy about it," he said. She opened the car door and climbed in, checking her phone for the umpteenth time. "Still nothing?" he asked, putting on his seat belt. The vampire was way too human, still using his seat belt and everything. She shook her head.

"I'm gonna end up killing the girl myself if she doesn't call me back."

* * *

"So, seriously, why hasn't anyone called yet?" Kayla asked again, sitting on the kitchen counter. Damon had found some dusty soup cans in the pantry and had heated some up. She sat with her legs crossed on the counter as she ate, holding the bowl up close to her face. He leaned against the counter next to her, opting instead for a small drink of whiskey. Apparently the physical closeness wasn't helping with his blood lust.

"They have," he said simply. She looked at him expectantly, and he shrugged. "I'm ignoring them." She smiled.

"Sounds like a plan," she murmured approvingly, lifting the bowl to her lips and drinking the rest. When she lowered it, he took her hand and kissed the back of it, turning the ring on her finger tenderly.

"It suits you," he commented. She smiled.

"Thanks. My vampire ex-boyfriend gave it to me," she said teasingly. He growled and pulled her off of the counter, holding her above the ground against him. She cried out and braced her hands on his shoulders, laughing as he bit at her stomach playfully. "Fine, fine, my boyfriend!" she surrendered, giggling. He put her down and circled his arms around her waist.

"Your phone's been vibrating too," he said casually, leaning forward. In a second she bolted away from him and made a break for the coffee table in the living room where her phone was. He groaned loudly. "Yeah, just go right ahead and make me feel less important than the phone."

"It might be my Dad," she reasoned, searching for her phone amongst the paperwork she'd left strewn across the glass surface. "Or Sydney."

"God forbid your hair stylist call," he muttered grumpily. She rolled her eyes playfully.

"Damon, don't be such a sour puss," she scolded. "I've spent all day with you, so let's give everyone else two minutes." She finally found the mobile device and scrolled through the history.

"Speaking of your Dad, I don't think he likes me very much," he commented, speeding over to the bed and lying down. He folded his hands behind his head to watch her lazily. "When I last saw him, he told me to set myself on fire." She laughed as she dialed voicemail; nine of the calls had been from Sydney, and one from her father. "Why would that be?"

"You don't exactly make it easy for him to like you," she reasoned. At his questioning look, she elaborated. "You know, sleeping with Elizabeth and Katherine and stuff."

"How would he know about that?"

"Big-time psychic," she mumbled, listening to the first message. Damon tried to listen, but she had wandered to the kitchen and started to wash the dishes. The noise drowned out the sound of the messages, leaving him completely in the dark about who had been calling and why.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. Without bothering to turn off the sink, she ended the phone call and rushed over to Damon, grabbing his shirt off the floor. "My parents are on their way!"

"So?"

She glared at him as she sat on his lap and pulled his shirt over his head. "So, my mom will light you like a torch if she sees you in here," she clarified. "This is supposed to be a vampire-free zone."

"You invited me in here," he reasoned, weaving his arms through the shirt holes. She pulled it down to cover his chest and then stood up, rushing to the window.

"You've been kept wonderfully sheltered from my parents' true nature and just how dangerous they are. They react, then ask questions later." She opened the window and looked down, calculating the distance. "You should be able to make the jump without a problem."

"We're on the third floor."

"Don't be such a wimp. Aren't you supposed to be a bad-ass vampire?"

"You overestimate me." She groaned and pecked him quickly on the lips. He gave in. "Fine," he conceded, throwing one leg over the window sill. "But you're making this up to me later."

"Sure. Here, eight o'clock?"

"It's a date," he confirmed, and with a short wave, he jumped down. Once she saw him disappear down the road, she closed and locked the window, then made a break for her cellphone. She dialed Sydney's number, but the woman didn't answer. She tried Gavin's, and it was the same result. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed her jacket off the hook by the door and slipped on her sneakers, not even bothering to put on a pair of socks. She dialed Sydney's number again, but by the time she'd run down two flights of stairs, the woman answered.

"Young lady, you sure as hell better have a good reason for ignoring my calls!" Sydney exclaimed as soon as she picked up the call.

"Are you guys alright?" Kayla demanded, running down the last flight of stairs.

"_We're_ fine, what about you?"

"Of course I'm fine," she said distractedly, pushing open the door to her apartment building. "I've been at the loft all day." The crisp air hit her, and she realized she'd forgotten to grab a jacket. Not bothering to go back, she pulled her keys out of her purse and hurried to the parking lot. "Where are you?"

"You keep your pretty little psychic butt in your apartment and extend an invitation to your vampire buddy," Sydney said, her distaste for Gavin clear in her voice. "We're on our way over there."

"Don't worry, I'm already walking to my car," she assured her. Sydney cursed.

"Girl, get back in that apartment now!" Sydney yelled. Kayla stopped, a bad feeling crawling up her spine. She looked around, but the parking lot was empty of living beings. "Elijah is in Mystic Falls right now, and is searching under every fucking rock for your stupid self. So, lock the door, and-"

"Warn Elena," she interrupted, keeping her voice low as she started walking back to the building.

"What?" Sydney asked exasperatedly.

"Call Stefan, and get Elena out of town," she clarified, barely containing the urgency in her voice. "I'll be fine, trust me." She broke into an all-out run, but didn't get far. She turned the corner and skidded to a halt, spotting him not even ten feet away. Sydney was still asking questions, but she didn't waste a second before smashing her cellphone into the wall, effectively destroying it. Elijah turned to her just as she dusted her hands off and stepped on the remains of the mobile.

It was everything to not run away.

His jaw was tight and his expression guarded as he looked her over carefully. She had the strange feeling that he was as freaked out about seeing her as she was about seeing him. He pulled himself together first and spoke in the same calm voice she remembered him always using. "I take it you're the famous Kayla Knight," he said, extending his hand. She very nearly fainted from relief: he didn't know who she was! "You've caused quite the stir in Chicago. I'm Elijah." She ignored the gesture and stayed where she was, narrowing her eyes at him. He lowered his hand and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

"If you're trying to stall until Salvatore comes back, it's not going to happen," he informed her. "He was most cooperative in helping me find you, and he's been overcome with the sudden urge to spend the rest of his afternoon reading about the French Revolution in his room."

"What do you want?" she finally demanded. "I make it a point not to associate with Originals." He stepped forward and she stood her ground, chin turned up as he approached.

"I mean you no harm, I promise you that."

"What do you want?" she repeated, more forcefully. He stopped a foot away from her.

"To talk," he answered.

"About what?" she asked challengingly. "I don't know you."

"But you know Elizabeth," he said, not catching on to her lie. "And you know Benji." When she didn't seem like she was going to cooperate, he let out a short sigh. "And you know Gavin, who will be staked for double-crossing me unless you agree to a civil conversation. And you are close to Sydney, the hairstylist from Richmond." He gave her a regretful look. "Don't make me describe what will happen to Damon." He extended his hand again, this time with the confidence that she would take it.

Which she did. Even after dying, she didn't seem to learn that sacrificing herself was something that never ended well.

* * *

**Thoughts :D?**

**And again, if any of my readers are good at photo editing, I would soooo love to have an image cover for the story! **

**Have a good week lovelies!**


	4. A Life to Get Back to

**Author's Note:**

**I have no excuse other than writer's block coupled with some pretty big life changes. I now live "on my own" with someone with the bad habit of smoking inside, I'm attending a state university in the continental US, and am back into study mode. BUT, the fact that VD will be coming back soon has helped me out a bit to write! It seems that everyone's writing Caroline-Klaus stories, and though I considered it, I don't do so well writing without an OC. For the most part, I enjoy what the writers already do with the canon pairings. Also, I'm working on some original material, so...**

**Anyways, I hope y'all haven't given up on me yet, and leave some reviews to remind me you're here! Take care, and I hope everyone has a good week!**

* * *

"_You are going to forget seeing me and lose all recollection of the day's events with Kayla Knight. You will go right back to acting as you always have before meeting her, and will not remember who she is until she tells you where Mikaela is." Elijah smiled pleasantly as Damon nodded mutely, and walked away._

* * *

**Three Days Later:**

"Elena, I mean it. What the hell did you do with it?" Damon demanded. Elena's frown deepened and she shook her head.

"I didn't-"

"Don't lie to me!"

His yell rang through his bedroom, freezing her in place and producing a silence thick enough to choke on. She had barely walked through the door when he'd confronted her, demanding what she'd done with "it". If it wasn't enough that she had no idea what "it" was, he was insisting they'd seen each other the morning before, when she was certain she hadn't seen him for at least a week. To make matters worse, he was starting to down alcohol, and they all knew that a drunk Damon was a dangerous Damon. Luckily Stefan walked in at that point, a concerned look on his face as he took in the situation.

"What's going on?" he asked. Damon barked a laugh and pointed at Elena.

"Your little girlfriend there has something of mine!" he said, glaring daggers at the teenager. "And I want it back."

"Damon, Elena wouldn't steal from you," Stefan reasoned, trying to peacefully defuse the situation. Damon laughed darkly.

"Yes, and I'm sure she wouldn't have sex with me in my car when she's supposed to be meeting with you, right?"

Stefan and Elena exchanged glances right as Bonnie walked in, her grimoire held to her chest. She stopped in the doorway, quickly catching onto the tension in the room. Stefan settled a hand on Bonnie's shoulder and looked at Damon, a small frown still on his face as he processed what his brother said.

"Yeah... Bonnie's here because she says she had a vision," Stefan said slowly. Damon snorted and poured himself another drink.

"What, you failed at being a witch, so you decided to be a psychic now?" Damon taunted. Bonnie ignored his tone and walked past him, setting her grimoire on the coffee table.

"Does the name Kayla Knight ring a bell?" she asked icily. Damon pretended to think about it with exaggerated flourish before shaking his head.

"No, sorry. Is she somebody else that I ate?" he asked with false curiosity. Elena rolled her eyes, but Bonnie seemed completely unaffected.

"She came to me in a vision this morning," Bonnie began, and pulled a folded piece of notebook paper out from inside the grimoire. She opened it and showed the drawing to Damon. "Does this look familiar?"

It was a word in some sort of loopy writing hanging over a doorway. A woman stood with her back turned under the sign, hands on her hips. The sign read "Bubbles", and after observing the drawing for a moment, he shrugged. "Not at all. Is it supposed to be?"

She pulled out another paper and held it up. This time recognition flashed across his face and he grabbed the drawing, taking it to Stefan. "This is it!" he said, pointing to the drawing. "This is what she took from me!" The quick sketch was of a pearl ring with Celtic knots on the sides, a simple, but very elegant ring. Stefan recognized it as well, and took the paper with a frown.

"This was our mother's engagement ring," he explained to Elena, confusion clearly written on his features. "Damon was going to give it to Elizabeth before..."

"Yeah yeah, we all know how the tragedy goes," Damon interrupted, snatching back the drawing and holding it in front of Elena. "The point is, I want it back. Give it."

"I didn't take your ring, Damon!" Elena exclaimed. "What do I have to do to prove it to you?"

"You don't have to do anything," Bonnie cut in, opening a map over the grimoire. "I'm going to find it." She held out her hand to Damon. "The ring was made with a pair. I need it."

Damon scoffed. "And why would I give it to you?"

"Because, Damon, this Kayla Knight informed me that if we find the ring, we'll find what you're really looking for," Bonnie answered tiredly.

"Which is?"

"Mikaela." Silence descended for all of two seconds before Damon opened his mouth to break it. Bonnie beat him to it, though. "Kayla Knight said that there was a loophole to the curse and she showed it to you, but that somebody took the memories of that day away, and you don't remember meeting her. You find the ring, you'll get those memories back, and we can bring back Mikaela." She raised a brow. "So, are you gonna give me the other ring, or not?"

* * *

Kayla strummed her fingers on the dashboard, sitting on the edge of her seat and shaking her head as she looked at the club.

"No," she said decisively, dropping her hand flat. "No, I'm not doing this."

Elijah sighed from the driver's seat and turned off the car. The windows were rolled down a couple of inches for the benefit of her breathing, so the pulsing beats of the music playing inside _Bubbles_ filled the SUV. "It's a very simple task," he reminded her. "Go in, introduce yourself, and tell her to come back."

"I'm not going in there," Kayla repeated, sitting back in the passenger seat and crossing her arms. "When you said you needed me to get Elizabeth back, I was under the impression she'd run away to California to become an actress or something, _not _that she'd gone to work at a strip club in the middle of Chicago!" She threw up her hands and fastened her seat belt. "Deal is off, I want to go home."

"And Mystic Falls is home?"

She glared at him. "No, it's not," she snapped. "I already told you, I went to get answers about the visions I was having."

"And have you found them?" She refused to answer the question, and he didn't press it any further. "Alright. Kayla, you have two options."

"Bring it."

"You can go into the establishment and politely try to convince Elizabeth that you are not, in fact, Mikaela's ghost haunting her, but are rather a psychic connected to her. Once you do that, convey whatever message she wants to Mikaela to give her peace so that she can help me. Afterwards, I will take you back to Mystic Falls, completely unharmed."

"Other option?"

"I can take you back to Mystic Falls now, then go to Richmond and pull out Gavin's heart for lying to me," he said calmly. Kayla growled, but he seemed completely unaffected. "Your choice."

"And why does this have to be me again?" she asked in a mutter. He reached into the back seat and handed her a long jacket, silently warning her that it was chilly outside for her attire. Elijah had bought her enough clothes for the time that he'd need her help, and at that moment she was wearing a jean skirt and a blue sleeveless blouse with sneakers. The jacket was longer than her skirt, but she pulled it on anyways, not caring much for appearances.

"Because, you have a special connection to our late friend, Mikaela," he repeated for the tenth time since she agreed to even speak to him. "None of my witches have been able to contact her on the other side, and it seems that Elizabeth's guilt is what's keeping her from completing the tasks that she needs to. So, you are the only person who can bring her peace."

"I should be demanding money for this," she muttered, pulling up the lock on the door. "Lord knows Elizabeth doesn't deserve forgiveness yet."

"Isn't the wellbeing of your loved ones enough?" Elijah asked, though a light smile was on his lips. He knew she wasn't entirely serious about the demand.

"Didn't you hear?" she asked, pushing open the door and stepping out. "I've been homeless and on the run for a while, so some cash wouldn't hurt." She held out her hand expectantly. When Elijah didn't respond, she rolled her eyes. "Really, Elijah? You expect me to go into a strip club broke?" Reluctantly he pulled out his wallet and handed her two ten dollar bills. She groaned. "Come on, I'm not gonna run off with your cash!" she exclaimed. "You're an Original with endless funds! Just give me your money!"

"You say those words with far too much ease," he informed her, dropping the wallet in her hand. "Just know that if you so much as run five feet from this building, I will-"

"Kill me?" she challenged, closing the door. "We both know I have ways of keeping myself hidden, and I learn from my mistakes." He lowered the window, shaking his head.

"Not you, but everyone else."

She waved a hand as if she wasn't concerned and turned around, marching up to the front of the club. The steel doors were closed and flanked by two large men, tall and muscular beyond the norm. Feeling Elijah's eyes on her back, she smiled sweetly at first one man, then the other. They exchanged a look; clearly, they didn't get many customers like her.

"Good evening fellas," she greeted, using her best southern accent. "Let a poor girl in?"

"Private party, sorry," the man on the right stated, though his tone implied that he wasn't sorry at all. "Come back tomorrow."

"Oh, I'm not here to see the show," she assured him, eyes wide and innocent. "I'm here to apply for work. See, my cousin works here, and she tells me you guys are hiring?"

The man on the left snorted. "You want to work here?" he repeated, raising a brow. "Honey, this place isn't for girls like you."

"Now, don't you think that's up to the owner to decide?" she smoothly replied, stepping up to him. With invisible fingers she reached into his mind, coaxing him. She saw the telltale way his eyes glazed over, indicating she had a hold on him. Bouncers were always tough on the outside, and very firm in character, but otherwise, were just as easy as the next person to... _push_ to see things her way. "Come on. Our little secret."

He blinked and shook his head, breaking the spell. "What's your name?" he asked gruffly. She smiled conspiratorially.

"Kayla Knight," she replied. He groaned, and giving his partner a nod, opened the door.

"Don't tell Lizzy I let you in," he warned. She winked and, giving a wave back to Elijah's car to let him know she was fine, walked inside.

Turned out Bubbles wasn't just your typical run-of-the-mill strip club. Of course, the neon lights, the suggestive music and the dimmed atmosphere were present, but there was something else about it. As she made her way down the hall and stepped into the parlor, she watched everything with very calculating eyes, searching for all exits and possible weapons were an outbreak to start. The practice wasn't one learned in her human years, but rather in her weeks living as a runaway. People were unpredictable even to a psychic like her, and she'd had to defend herself from a physical attack on more than one occasion. Then, of course, there was that one time at that market, when that guy from the newspaper came rushing in with a gun... Rubbing her shoulder, she ignored the dull pain the memory triggered and focused on the task at hand.

Three girls danced on the stage, two centering their dances around poles while the one in the center stepped down from the stage, making her way to a man in a scruffy leather jacket. For a moment she felt an unreasonable hope that it was _her _guy in that leather jacket; but no, it was some gross biker guy with blood stains on his white wife-beater and a predatory look on his face that made her stomach twist. The girl (because really, she was hardly more than a girl) straddled his lap, and had no longer rested her hands on his chest when he grabbed a handful of hair at the base of her neck, turned her head to the side, and grinned. Kayla barely caught the moment his eyes turned red and his fangs extended before he dug his teeth into her carotid artery, holding her tightly in place. The girl didn't fight- if anything, she seemed to be enjoying it-, and as he continued to drink, he looked up at Kayla, a grin in his eyes.

_You're next._

She turned away as she felt bile rise in her throat at the sight. Of course. Elizabeth had to choose the one vampire strip club in Chicago, didn't she? The one day Kayla had forgotten to drink her vervain, no less. When she'd found herself with only twenty dollars to her name, she'd considered applying for a job as an exotic dancer to make some quick money, but that mental debate hadn't lasted more than a day or two, not for a change of heart, but rather a change in circumstances. A boy her age had walked up to her spot outside a coffee house with an old-fashioned stereo, and had asked her if she could sing. Apparently he knew a train station with generous riders, and would go 50-50 with anyone willing to do street performances for a couple of hours there. So, she danced, and danced, and after much sweat and burning muscles, she had another twenty dollars in her pocket, and invested some in a cup of coffee. The drink reminded her of meeting Damon, and though the encounter hadn't ended well for her, remembering had made her realize how much she missed him. And despite the bitterness that he was with Katherine again, she started to think of her mother and friends, and the longing to go back overcame her. That was the night she decided to start saving up for a bus ticket back to Mystic Falls.

And that was why she couldn't fail. As much as Kayla had tried to pretend in front of Elijah that she was mostly annoyed by the favor, the fact of the matter was that she had just started to get a fraction of her life back, and she didn't think she could bear losing any of it again. Elijah had already shown that he could manipulate those around her by making Damon forget the day they'd spent together and by threatening Gavin, but he'd also demonstrated that he was reasonable. He believed her story and would honor their deal, she knew that, and because of it, fulfilling her end of the deal was crucial if she wanted to protect the people she loved from the things she foresaw in her visions.

So, she held her head high, pulled her jacket off, folded it over her arm, and marched to the door into the dressing rooms, concealed behind a heavy curtain. She knocked firmly on the door, and a couple of seconds later, a woman's face peeked out. Kayla smiled pleasantly, and gestured beyond the woman.

"I'm here to see Lizzy?"

The woman nodded, and motioned for her to hurry inside. The door led into a hallway where the noise and music of the club was muffled greatly, providing relief from the craziness. The woman led her to an inconspicuous door to their left. When she pushed it open, Kayla following closely behind, she called in a very loud, rough voice, "Liiiizzy! Visitor!"

"If it's Stefan again, tell him to leave me alone!" A voice yelled back from the other side of the room. Kayla couldn't see who it was through the mess of vanities, racks with costumes and dancers bustling around. Some nursed bite marks by throwing back vials of what could only be vampire blood, and wiping off whatever mess had been left behind, while those unharmed prepared to go back into the fray.

"It ain't Stefan, it's a girl!" the woman hollered. Kayla found it curious that she would immediately assume it was Stefan visiting her. She'd only seen them speak once in her visions. Was it possible they'd stayed in touch?

"Well tell whoever it is to leave me the hell alone! I'm working!"

She sounded exactly like she had that night she'd given her a ride to the bus station, and her voice rubbed her the wrong way just like it had that night. The woman shrugged apologetically at Kayla and started to steer her away, but Kayla wasn't going to give up so easily. Pulling her arm out of the woman's hold, she took a step forward and barked a laugh.

"Oh, but I came so far to see you!" she called. There was no response, but seconds later a tall woman started walking towards them, stumbling slightly over something on the ground. When they were close enough to see each other clearly, Elizabeth stopped, looking Kayla over with wide green eyes as Kayla looked her over as well, lips pursed. Elizabeth was taller than her and the sky-high heels made her even taller, but she looked anything but comfortable in the shoes. The clothes, however, were another matter entirely. Elizabeth didn't seem bothered at all by showing about 80% of her dark skin in the red leather outfit, which was strange, considering she came from a time when even a single inch of bare skin made a difference. The woman that had showed Kayla into the room left, leaving them alone in the entrance of the bustling dressing room.

Kayla cleared her throat and gestured to the door behind her. "It's a bit stuffy in here. Shall we?" she asked. Coming back to herself, Elizabeth nodded, and followed Kayla out of the room and into the hallway. Kayla leaned against the wall opposite Elizabeth, crossed her arms, and smiled tightly. "So, I guess you're not a hippie anymore."

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth demanded, cutting right to the chase. Unlike most people whose emotions were simply displayed for Kayla, Elizabeth's motions blared at her like neon signs and were announced on loud speakers, making it impossible for Kayla to ignore how much her arrival had alarmed her. And she would be lying if she said she didn't get some satisfaction from that fact.

"Elijah sent me," she replied. No point in deliberating. The sooner she could get back to Mystic Falls, and away from the woman in front of her, the better. "Apparently, I've messed up your magic, and I need to fix it. He's done the typical vampire routine of threatening my loved ones, you know how it is."

Elizabeth cursed quietly and set her hands on her hips. "Of course he would," she muttered. Kayla shrugged.

"It happens." She dropped her head back against the wall, if only just to have an excuse not to look at Elizabeth anymore. There was only so much she could handle at once. "So, what has your panties in a twist? Think I'm Mikaela's reincarnated ghost?" she asked, making the possibility sound as if it were humorous to her.

"Aren't you?" Elizabeth exclaimed defensively. Kayla snorted and shook her head.

"I'm a psychic, genius," she answered, tapping her temple. She'd practiced the lie so many times, she was certain that she could have even passed a lie detecting exam if she'd tried. "I ran away from home two months ago, and one night I was sleeping in the park when I started having some pretty crazy visions of another psychic's life, a curse, and the psychic's death. I was knocked out for three days, and when I came to, I was in a hospital, my memory replaced instead with the girl's memories." She laughed humorlessly. "When we met, I was in a bit of an in-between state of getting my memories back. I've regained my own memories already, but I have to say, I saw some insane things." She raised a brow. "Vampires and witches and a whole bunch of loving crap. I've been in Mystic Falls trying to make sense of everything, and apparently word reached Elijah about it. So, here we are."

"So... You're not Mikaela?" Elizabeth clarified. The disappointment in her voice... Kayla didn't hesitate to feed it.

"No. I'm not," she stated flatly. The despair hit her like a heavy pillow being thrown in her chest, but she bit her tongue until it passed. Yes, Mikaela being alive had been Elizabeth's last hope, but Kayla wasn't going to ease the wound. Mikaela before Founder's Day would have done something to comfort Elizabeth, but that Mikaela had died. Kayla kept a straight face, and continued to explain. "I was raised in Richmond where she died, and I used to go to that ballet studio, so she latched onto my energy." She waved a hand. "Sometimes I can connect to her, and we talk. Do you want to talk to her?"

Immediately Elizabeth shook her head. "No thank you, I don't," she said quickly, avoiding her eyes. Kayla frowned, confused by her reaction. Surely she wanted to ask for forgiveness or something? Wasn't she wracked with guilt? Wasn't that the whole reason Elijah sent her there in the first place? The give her some peace? "I know that what I did..." Elizabeth trailed off, and took a deep breath. "Have you run into Benji?" she asked finally, her voice thick with emotion. Kayla blinked. That was what this was all about. It had nothing to do with her. "I haven't seen him since I came back, and I fear that he won't forgive me."

Kayla cursed quietly, wracking a hand through her hair. Her fingers reached the ends of her locks quickly, a silent reminder of all of the other physical differences she'd come back with. Darker skin. More height. Burn scars. And those green eyes she'd despised more than anything ever since the curse first started to take its toll. She looked back at Elizabeth, gritting her teeth to hold back the emotion. Elizabeth looked so much like Benji, it hurt to see the eyes of the man who brought her back to life in the face of the woman who took everything away from her.

"Benji..." Her lower lip started to tremble, and she clenched her eyes shut. She couldn't break down, not in front of this woman. "Benji only ever wanted you to be happy," she finally forced out. Elizabeth gasped, and Kayla knew she was hanging onto her every word. "He knew that coming back the way you did, you wouldn't be happy, not the way you'd hoped. You can't kill an innocent without repercussions. He was angry and sad for you, but..." She shook her head sharply, turning away. "He's never stopped loving you."

A smile ghosted across Elizabeth's lips and she nodded, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered. Kayla nodded.

"You're welcome," she muttered, then cleared her throat. "So, are you going to go back with Elijah?" Elizabeth nodded quickly, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "Good." In a burst of emotion Elizabeth surged forward as if to hug her, but Kayla held up her hands and took a step back, shaking her head vigorously. "Don't touch me. I don't do hugs anymore."

But Elizabeth's eyes weren't on Kayla, nor was her focus on the girl's rudeness. Her eyes were trained on her left hand, and in a flash she grabbed Kayla's wrist and lowered it. Too late Kayla realized what it was and tried to jerk her hand back, but Elizabeth held her in a vice grip, her arms shaking with emotion.

It was the ring.

"Where did you get this?" she demanded in a whisper. "This is mine!"

"No, it's mine," Kayla hissed, baring her teeth. "Get your hands off of me." Anger flickered in Elizabeth's glare as she looked up threateningly at Kayla.

"Damon was going to give it to me," she growled. The whole encounter had taken a turn for the worst, and Kayla needed to get out of there, fast. Not wasting another second, she lifted her leg and kicked the woman straight in the stomach, sending her stumbling backward, gasping for breath. Released from the woman's grip, she whorled around and wrenched the door open, running through the club for the exit. Suddenly the small place seemed too large, the expanse to the hallway endless. She didn't sense the woman behind her, but didn't lower her speed, even when she reached the hallway. She shoved she doors open and scrambled out, stopping only to search wildly for Elijah's SUV.

A hand closed over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground. She screamed and thrashed against the vampire- because really, only a vampire could lift her so easily and run for the alley so quickly-, immediately realizing that it had to be the vampire from before, the one that had been feeding on the stripper. With a growl she reared her head back and bit down on his hand, hard enough to draw blood. He swore and released her, giving her the opening she needed to bolt out into the open again. Elijah had to be _somewhere_-!

"Geez woman, _you _called _me_ here!"

A hand gripped her arm and whorled her around, making her freeze on the spot. The vampire holding his hand and swearing wasn't the creepy vampire from inside the club, it was Damon. Her Damon. Only, when he looked at her, he didn't recognize her. She was starting to get sick of that. Through the flood of emotion at seeing him and annoyance at Elijah's compulsion, she took in what he said, and felt confusion added to the mix. Panting, she ran a hand through her hair and shook her head.

"What are you talking about? I didn't call you here," she said breathlessly. He rolled his eyes.

"So Brunhilda the witch went and made up her vision about where you would be," he said doubtfully, raising a brow.

"What? Bonnie had a vision?" she clarified. He frowned.

"How do you know Bonnie?" he demanded.

"And why would you come looking for me?" she pressed, ignoring his question. "You don't know who I am."

"You're right, I don't," he confirmed. He couldn't imagine how that stung, even if she fully understood the reason behind it, and knew that it wasn't really his fault. If Elijah had compelled him to forget, he would forget. "But she also said that you could tell me how to bring Mikaela back."

"How to-?" She groaned and resisted the urge to hit him. Damn Elijah and his compulsion. "Damon, Mikaela already came back," she said, grabbing the front of his shirt to hold him in place. "It's me. I'm Mikaela, and I'll explain everything later, but right now I'm trying to keep some very dangerous people away from you and the others, so I need you to get out of here. Do you understand?"

His eyes seemed to glaze over momentarily before he blinked and responded. "Kayla, what the hell are you doing here in Chicago?" he exclaimed, his tone much more familiar than it had been only a second before. "We were supposed to meet up days ago!" She frowned at him just as she started to pull her cell phone out of her pocket.

"So you remember who I am now?" she asked, just to be certain. He rolled his eyes.

"Of course I remember who you are," he said exasperatedly. "Some... super-vampire showed up and erased my memories for a couple of days." She let out a sigh of relief and dialed Elijah's number.

"Perfect. Now please just stay quiet for a second," she ordered. Elijah picked up on the first ring.

"Yes?"

"Elizabeth agreed to go back," she said, turning away from Damon and covering her other ear. "She flipped out at me because of my ring, so I had to run and get out of there."

"Yes, Elizabeth is with me now. We've gotten past our differences," he said calmly. She could only begin to imagine what kind of discussion that had to have been. "Where are you? I'll pick you up and take you to the airport."

"Our deal is done, right?" she asked. "You won't bother Damon or any of my loved ones, right? And Damon will get his memories back?"

"The deal covered Damon, your family, and Gavin," he corrected, "but yes. So long as you all remain out of the way, then you will be safe, and Damon's memories should have returned to him already. Now, where should I pick you up?"

"Don't worry about it," she assured him quickly, turning back to Damon. He had a questioning look on his face, but was looking at her like he used to. She couldn't help but smile and take his hand. "I have a ride."

"Well then, it was wonderful doing business with you, Kayla," Elijah said politely. "Best regards to Gavin. He's fired."

"Likewise, and I'll be sure to let him know," she said, then snapped the phone shut. Unable to help herself, she leaped up and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his neck and holding him tightly. "It's over, Damon!"

"That's great!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "Can you tell me what's over?" Ignoring his tone, she released him and grabbed both of his hands, smiling brightly up at him.

"How about you give me a ride home, and I'll tell you all about it," she suggested. "I have a life I need to get back to."

* * *

"It really is her!" Elizabeth exclaimed disbelievingly, watching the couple from through the car window before they disappeared at vampire speed. She turned to Elijah, her jaw still dropped in shock. "Why didn't she just tell us that she was alive? Why make up a story?"

Elijah didn't answer at first, still staring after where they'd run off to. He hadn't dared believe it, but Gavin had been right. Mikaela was alive. There wasn't any explanation that he could think of, and he knew he would have to pay Dr. Martin a visit to discuss theories. Mikaela, in a brand new body. They had literally killed her, watched her succumb to her burn injuries in the middle of her dance studio. Her body had rotted for days before it had gone missing, just around the same time Benji had, most likely taking the corpse with him. That kind of thing left a mark on a person, no matter how strong the magic, and he needed to figure out why she was walking around as healthy as could be (though maybe a little bit skinny). As far as he could tell, the girl wasn't trying to cause trouble, but that didn't mean she wasn't dangerous.

"To keep us away," he answered honestly, starting the car. Elijah had listened to the whole conversation and relayed it to Elizabeth, and wasn't entirely sure what the implications were. He needed a Knight witch, but if Elizabeth didn't get in touch with her magic, even knowing that the girl she'd killed was actually alive... He hated dishonesty, but with the Petrova line broken, if there was nothing fundamentally wrong with her, "Kayla" might be his last chance. And he wasn't going to miss another chance again.

* * *

**Post-Chapter Note:**

**So...? Leave your opinions, and if you're so inclined, some words of encouragement :)?**


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